Broken Dreams
by Malinear
Summary: The six have settled into happy lives with each other, but when their world is turned inside out, will they find their way back together? Rating for some language.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Ugh…as always…I don't own them, I wish I did, but I don't.

* * *

The Three Amigos were finally together again, but none of them were happy about it. 

Maria Guerin, Liz Evans, and Alex Whitman sat in a stunned silence as Liz mechanically drove towards Alex's house. Too much had happened that day and they were all dealing in their own ways.

Liz pulled up in front of the little blue house and they all got out of the Cherokee. After fumbling with the keys for a moment, Alex opened the front door and they went inside.

Maria curled up on the love seat, her knees drawn up close to her chest. Across the room, Liz slumped into a recliner and absently rocked. Alex was pacing between the two.

He finally broke the silence, "I still can't believe it. How could they do it?"

Maria looked up, her usually bright green eyes dull. Her voice sounded distant and eerily calm, "They always said they would. It was more important."

Liz flinched, "No. You're wrong, Maria."

"Am I?" she bit back.

"I refuse to believe it." Liz silently cursed the waver she heard in her voice. She understood Maria's hurt completely. Michael had made a promise to her long ago that he would never leave her.

"Whatever," Maria rolled her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her.

Liz turned to Alex, "Don't tell me you believe that too!" She was nearing hysteria by this point.

Alex stopped in mid-stride and looked at her seriously, "I don't know Liz. I'd like to believe that it's not true, but…" he trailed off, not wanting to say the accusing words, fearing that would make them true. Abandoned or not, he would always love his wife. But right now, it was just so hard to condone the actions that she and the others had taken.

Tears were running down Liz's cheeks but she ignored them. Max was gone. She had lost her happiness that day. The only thing that was giving her any strength was the small life growing within her. The life that Max hadn't even known about. Maybe if she had told him as soon as she had found out yesterday…

Maria angrily pushed herself off of the love seat and went into the kitchen. She rummaged through the cabinets, causing a great deal of noise before finding what she had been searching for.

When she came back into the living room, Alex's eyes widened and he stared at the bottle in her hands, "Maria, I thought you didn't drink."

She smirked ruefully and poured herself a glass of the Scotch, "That was before my husband left me."


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: italics denote flashbacks...usually. You'll be able to tell.

* * *

_Maria had never been happier in her entire life. She had grown up in a house where her father had left, her mother dreamt of the days before making "the big mistake," and she had been forced to grow up too soon. But finally, here she was, twenty-two, a college graduate, and married to the only man she had ever let into her heart. She smiled up at him and slid her arms higher around his neck as they shared their first dance as husband and wife._

_Michael was grinning, not smirking, but honestly grinning. He did that a lot now. His arms were wrapped possessively around her waist and he leaned his forehead against hers. He whispered, "I love you."_

_Yes, Maria Guerin was definitely happy. Maria Guerin. She liked the sound of that. Six years ago, when it had first crossed her mind, she had indulged in the fantasy for a week or so and then tossed it aside, deeming it unlikely and immature. She had been wrong._

_There was still one thing that was nagging her in the back of her mind though. He had still never said anything about the possibility of ever leaving with Max and Isabel to find their home. So, knowing full well that his answer had the potential to ruin her good cheer, she approached the subject._

_"Michael?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"If you guys find your home…will you go?" She bit her lip nervously._

_Michael seemed to think about it for a moment and then looked into her eyes. With a serious tone he replied, "Maria, I could never leave you. Not for anything in the universe. You are my home now."_

_If she had thought that she couldn't be happier before, she had been wrong then too_.

* * *

Maria took another swallow of the scotch. It no longer burned on the way down. Alex had tried several times to take the bottle from her but if they had made any useful discoveries that day, it was that Maria made a bitter drunk. Not that she cared anymore. 

She kept reliving that dance in her mind though. Perhaps that was why she was so crass right now. She heard him tell her that he would never leave her over and over to the point where she was ready to scream.

The bastard had lied to her. Just like her father. No one ever loved her for long. They always left. Her mom would have, but she had had nowhere to go.

So now here she was, twenty-four, married for almost two years, listening to her best friend weep over her vanished husband and her other friend deny the truth. They'd see things for how they truly were soon enough, she mused to herself.

All in all, the person she held the most blame to was herself. She had obviously not been enough to make him stay. Her job teaching theatre at West Roswell High kept her busy when she could have spent time at home with Michael. He worked on his art at home except when he would occasionally take a few pieces to a showing. Even then, he had always come home.

But not this time. This time he had left her for good. He wasn't even in the same solar system anymore.

A tear streaked down her cheek and into the glass as she remembered earlier that morning.

* * *

_She had awaken to her Persian, Sassafras, flipping her tail in Maria's face._

_"Mornin' Sass."_

_The cat mewed and jumped down onto the carpet heading towards the door._

_Maria sighed and got out of bed, "Yeah, yeah, yeah…I'll feed you." She padded barefoot towards the kitchen._

_Sass had jumped up onto the table and was twitching her tail and making a great deal of noise._

_"You're not supposed to be up here-" she began, lifting the cat. That was when she had seen the note. It was Michael's handwriting. Her brow creased. He wasn't due home until that afternoon._

_**Maria,**_

_**We found a way to get home. I'm sorry. I have to go.**_

_**-Michael**_

* * *

Maria muttered to herself, "Sorry my ass." She glanced up and felt her heart wrench slightly at the sight of Liz in the chair. Liz didn't deserve this. Neither did Alex. But she did. It was the story of her life. 


	3. Chapter 2

Alex sighed deeply as he rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. Today had been the longest in his entire life. He was so tired, so worn out, emotionally and physically, but there was no way that he was going to let himself sleep. With Max and Michael gone, it was now his job to watch out for Liz and Maria.

He wasn't sure who was taking it the hardest, or even if they could even begin to compare the levels of hurt, but today was just the beginning of a very long, hard road for them.

Liz hadn't said anything since her frantic questioning that morning. He suspected something beyond Max's leaving was bothering her, but he knew that she would tell him when she was ready. She always did. And he had always been there for her.

Maria…well, he had finally pried the near empty bottle from her hands…when she had started sobbing uncontrollably. Alex had never seen her drink, much less drunk before. She had always avoided alcohol because of Michael. Now Alex didn't know what to do with her. She was a different person.

His two best friends were in pain and because of his own, he couldn't even help them.

It was now almost midnight and Alex wished for nothing more than yesterday.

Yesterday, life had been good. Isabel had been there and they had been happy…together. But yesterday was an eternity ago. Things would never be the same.

* * *

_"I can't wait to see Max and Liz again. I can't believe it's been a year since we've seen them." Isabel was practically bouncing around the house as she cleaned._

_Alex couldn't help but smile at his wife. Ten years ago, if someone had told him that he would end up married to Isabel Evans, Ice Queen of West Roswell High, and that she would be open and happy…well, yeah, ok…he would have believed it. But he would have been the only one._

_Isabel was one of those rare types of people. After she had let him into her heart, she had changed. The ice barrier had melted and the real Isabel came through._

_Topolsky had been right. She craved security and stability. She had even gotten over the "dream" of becoming a supermodel and was working on the care-giving field part._

_Just a month ago, she had completed medical school and she and Alex had returned to Roswell. And if anyone asked him, Dr. Isabel Whitman was the best pediatrician on staff at Roswell General._

_The wondrous doctor was fidgety from the prospect of seeing her brother again. Alex understood the feeling though. Liz had been like a sister to him and he had missed her while she had been busy playing scientist at Harvard._

_"Iz…you're going to break something if you don't calm down," he teased, looking up from the laptop that sat before him._

_She paused and flashed him a brilliant smile, "Not like I can't fix it."_

_He laughed. "True." He closed the laptop and slid his work to one side, "Come here."_

_She came so she was standing beside him and smiled, "Yes?"_

_Alex grabbed her by the arm, pulling her onto his lap. His hands framed her face and their lips were pressed together before she knew what was happening. She opened her mouth slightly, allowing his tongue to find hers._

_He could never get enough of her. It was the faint scent of cinnamon. It was the way her soft golden hair shone in the light. It was the love that he saw in her rich brown eyes. It was the way she sighed when they touched._

_No matter where he was or what he was doing, part of her was always there, haunting him. But he didn't mind. He never had. It had been his one dream, to be with her._

* * *

Alex shook the memories away. It was true though. Even if she had left, she was still there. It was the little things that reminded him and that hurt the most. Her note was still in his pocket where he had shoved it this morning.

He pulled the crumpled paper out and felt the familiar tug at the sight of her delicate print.

_**Alex,**_

_**We found a way home. I'm sorry. I have to go.**_

_**-Isabel**_

He stayed like that for a few moments before returning the note and looking around the room.

Maria was sleeping on the couch, her arm curled around a pillow for comfort. Liz was still in the chair. The occasional tremor that went through her told him that she was still crying.

Alex walked over to the window and looked up at the night sky. His gaze went directly to the familiar V-shaped constellation and he sent up a whispered prayer. "Please find what you're looking for and come home to us…" He sighed and leaned his forehead against the cool glass, feeling alone and haunted at the same time.


	4. Chapter 3

One week.

It had been one week since their lives had fallen apart. Eight days ago, they had all been happy, planning on a reunion after being apart for a year. But they never had that reunion. Or rather, the humans were reunited and the aliens were too…just not in the way they had planned.

Fortunately (if anything good could be found), it was summer so Maria and Liz were both off of work and Alex could work at home at his own pace. None of them could handle being around other people for extended periods of time.

Maria frightened Liz. She had taken to drinking and cursing someone who couldn't hear her. Liz no longer recognized her best friend. Liz knew that Maria blamed herself for Michael leaving.

As for Alex, well, he hadn't slept at all in the last week. He tried to act like everything was ok, but his eyes look haunted. He felt that he had to protect them and had insisted that Maria and Liz stay with him. Since he didn't sleep, Liz used his bed.

That's where she was now. She had just awoken from another night of dreamless sleep that had only come after a couple of hours of crying in the dark. The sun was shining through the window and Liz wished it would go away. It was too reminiscent of that morning.

* * *

_They had had a long day flying in from Boston. Their plane had been rerouted to St. Louis due to weather and they had spent a good four hours sitting at a Starbuck's and wandering from shop to shop._

_Liz was giddy from the prospect of seeing the others again and from the news she had received that morning._

_As their plane finally touched down in Albequerque, Liz almost told Max. She wanted to so badly, but she also wanted to set the scene. She would tell him over dinner tomorrow._

* * *

A wave of nausea came over Liz and she barely made it into the bathroom in time. She had been expecting the morning sickness, but today was the first time. And she felt miserable.

Her skin felt clammy and she was sweating and she wished that Max were here to wrap his strong arms around her and tell her that everything would be ok.

She jumped when she felt the cold washcloth being pressed against her forehead. Alex smiled slightly at her and sat next to her on the tile floor.

"You're pregnant?"

Liz nodded as the tears started again. She just needed to be held.

Alex sensed this and pulled her into his arms. "Shhh…it'll be okay Liz. We'll get through this."

"I should have told him. Maybe he wouldn't have left if he knew."

Alex was silent for a few minutes, simply rocking with her. "It's not your fault Liz. Nor is it Maria's or mine."

"I know…but I miss him so much." Her small body shook with the sobs. They had never actually talked about what had happened in the last week. "We were supposed to meet you guys at the Crashdown for breakfast, but when I got up all I found was his note."

Alex frowned and helped Liz stand. "Note?"

Liz nodded and tried to wipe her tears. "It's on the dresser. It's so unlike him, Alex. Max has never been one to make rash decisions."

Alex had crossed the room and was standing by the dresser, Max's note in his hand.

Liz sank back onto the bed and looked at him curiously, "What?"

Alex handed her the note, "Read it."

Liz was confused. She had read the note hundreds of times in her vain attempts to piece things together. She took the paper nonetheless and read aloud:

_**Liz,**_

_**We found a way home. I'm sorry. I have to go.**_

_**-Max**_

"I don't understand what you're getting at Alex."

She watched as he pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his back pocket. He set it on the bed next to her. "They're the same."


	5. Chapter 4

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know."

"It means that they were planning this."

"You're wrong."

"Am I? How else do you explain three exact same notes?"

"Maybe the government was involved."

"Oh God…"

"The government can't copy their handwriting perfectly."

"Well…" Alex trailed off, frustrated. Maria had a point. He looked again at the notes that lay in the middle of the table and compared them. "Ok. Let's go over the facts again."

Maria snapped, "It's not going to do any good. They're gone and they're not coming back."

Alex noticed the pained expression on Liz's face and decided that it was time to put an end to Maria's behavior. "You know, we've been pretty good about putting up with your shit this last week, Maria, but I'm sick of it. I won't let you do this anymore. You can blame yourself for Michael leaving if you really want to, I can't stop you. But leave Liz and I out of this. Do you think that we're not hurt by this? Because you'd be wrong. Everything I see, touch, hear, and smell has Isabel in it. She is everywhere in this house. And Liz is pregnant and her child may never see its father. We have plenty to worry about without you getting drunk and being bitter. So either shut the fuck up or get your ass in gear." He took a deep breath and stared at her, waiting for her reaction.

Liz could barely believe her ears. She knew that Alex was upset, but she obviously had had no clue how much. He was still clenching his jaw and his eyes were hard.

Maria glanced from Alex to Liz. The news of her pregnancy was news to her. But that wasn't the issue at the moment. She looked back at Alex and nodded tersely, "Ok."

His eyes narrowed and he asked, "Ok what, Maria?"

She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. "Ok. You're right. I'm being selfish," she paused, "But that doesn't mean I feel any differently about this. The three of us have been led on and tossed aside. They made us believe that we were enough for them and they still left." She closed her mouth before she went any further, knowing that she would lose the lid she kept on her pain. If that happened, she would start crying and never stop.

Alex sighed. It wasn't what he had hoped for, but he supposed it was enough for now. "Anyway," he looked at the notes again, "we have three notes, all saying the exact same thing except for the names, and they're all handwritten."

"And we know that no one had any contact with Max before they left. I was with him the entire time and we went to sleep as soon as we got to the hotel." Liz said softly.

Maria sighed, "Unless they've been planning this for a long time. They planned on leaving when they did, even coordinated the notes and found a way to slip out without any of us knowing. In Michael's case, getting in and out."

Alex really hated the fact that Maria was actually making sense. It hurt too much. He didn't want to believe that Isabel would keep something this big from him and leave him without even saying goodbye.

Liz closed her eyes in concentration. Something that Maria had said had stuck in her mind. "Maria, you said that Michael wasn't supposed to be home until at least that afternoon?"

She nodded and ran a hand through her long blonde hair, "Yeah."

"Where was his showing?"

Maria's brow creased. She didn't understand where Liz was leading with this, "Kansas City. Why?"

"Well, Max and I had to reroute to St. Louis because of the weather and it was a good four hours until we were able to get back in the air. And the bad weather was pretty much covering the entire western half of Missouri. That's why we had to land. No one could get through or out." Both Alex and Maria were staring at her now.

"But he had to have gotten home to leave the note…"

"Then where's his luggage?"

"He took it with him I guess."

Liz looked from Alex back to Maria, "None of Max's things were missing."

Alex's voice was low, "Isabel's either…"


	6. Chapter 5

* * *

_She was beautiful, breathtaking in fact. He couldn't make himself take his eyes off of her._

_She looked bored as she rested her chin in one hand and stared at a computer screen, her eyes seeming to fly through the contents of whatever she was reading. And then she stopped…and looked up at him._

_He was mesmerized by her eyes. They were almost an unnatural shade of gray…maybe silver._

_Her lips quirked upwards in a small smile. She looked amused. "Can I help you?" Oh, her voice. It was like a soft Irish ballad._

_That's when he caught himself. He almost laughed at the thought of how stupid he was sounding to himself. He had definitely spent too much time with his sister and her friends. So, he smiled, "I was noticing that you looked a little bored."_

_She smiled, "I suppose that I am." She closed her laptop and stood before him. "I'm Cloie McLeod and you are?"_

_"Kyle. Kyle Valenti."_

* * *

Kyle hit the steering wheel in frustration. Everything had been picture perfect from the beginning and where was he now? Even he didn't know. Maybe he just needed to spend some time with his family. He hadn't seen his father or Amy in a while but he talked to Maria on the phone frequently.

* * *

_"You're what?" Kyle and Maria chorused._

_Jim Valenti smiled as he held Amy's hand. "We're getting married, son."_

_He shouldn't have been shocked. His dad and Ms. DeLuca had been seeing each other for a few years now. But, being a twenty year-old hearing your forty-seven year-old father announce that he was going to get married again, he couldn't press the feeling down._

_Maria, on the other hand, seemed to have gotten over the initial shock already and was hugging her mother tightly. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, Mom." She even hugged his dad._

_Kyle shook his head a bit and then grinned, "Congratulations." What else was there to say? In all of the years since his mother and Maria's father had left, their parents hadn't been truly happy. Until they found each other anyway. And if they were happy, so was he._

_It was odd though…he was now gaining a sister. That was also an odd thing. He didn't think of her becoming his step-sister. Over the past four years, they had become friends and almost siblings. So it seemed right to simply refer to her as his sister._

* * *

What had happened to him? Seven months ago, he had been living a perfectly normal life. He was a FBI agent living in D.C., occasionally making the trip back to Roswell for visits. He could spend hours at a time talking on the phone with his sister (because she talked so much) catching up on the news of the town. And he was happily a bachelor with no worries in the world.

Until he met Cloie. She had stolen his heart from him at first glance. And he admitted it. He realized that happy bachelor routine was just that…a routine. He loved spending time with Cloie. He had met her in the food court of the Old Post Office and had walked her back to her office after lunch. She worked one floor above him.

They had a whirlwind romance. They went on their first date that same night and two weeks later, he had proposed, knowing that she was his other half.

Kyle took a deep breath to try and suppress the memories as he turned onto Maria's street. She could help him.

The driveway was empty, but that didn't mean anything. Maria had probably pulled her car into the garage. Kyle stepped out of his truck and walked up to the door. After several unanswered knocks, he pulled the spare key out of his billfold and went inside.

The house felt lonely, he mused. Like no one had been there for a while. There were no dirty dishes, no clothes lying around, and the only piles of newspaper were a week or more out of date. A quick peek at the answering machine showed a full in-box. The mailbox in the yard was empty though. Wherever Maria and Michael were, they were at least getting their mail.

Kyle drove to the hotel that Maria had told him that Max and Liz were staying at. The desk clerk told him that the Evans had checked out the morning after they had arrived.

One place left to look.

As Kyle came up the walk he could hear the muffled shouting.

"Do you think that we're not hurt by this? Because you'd be wrong. Everything I see, touch, hear, and smell has Isabel in it. She is everywhere in this house. And Liz is pregnant and her child may never see its father. We have plenty to worry about without you getting drunk and being bitter. So either shut the fuck up or get your ass in gear."

Something was definitely wrong, a little voice in the back of his mind screamed at him. It sounded like Max, Michael, and Isabel had vanished…and Alex was actually losing it. He waited a few moments, trying to catch the rest of the conversation, but not being able to understand them. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.


	7. Chapter 6

Maria pushed herself away from the table and went to answer the door. To say the least, she was a little shocked at who stood on the other side. "Kyle."

He gave her a small smile, "Hey, sis."

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in D.C.?" Her brow creased as she noticed the distant expression in his pale blue eyes.

Kyle stepped inside, "I took a leave of absence. I sort of need the family ties right now. And it sounds like you do too."

Maria nodded, "Come on in. We were just having a discussion."

"So I heard."

Maria led him into the dining room where Liz and Alex had much the same reaction to Kyle's presence. "Have a seat."

Liz looked at her questioningly, she too had noticed Kyle's appearance. Maria gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment. She turned to Kyle.

"So Michael, Max, and Isabel are gone?" He asked before she could open her mouth.

Alex's jaw tightened, "Yeah. And the more we look for answers, the more confusing it gets."

Kyle had slid into FBI agent mode now. Any worries of his own were pushed aside for the moment. "What do you know?"

An hour and several phone calls later, Kyle walked into the kitchen where Liz was making lunch. Alex was in the basement doing laundry and Maria gone to the store to get food for Sassafrass.

Liz turned when he came in. She was concerned about him even with all that she was dealing with. He could wait to tell them what he had found out when everyone was together. "Why'd you come home Kyle?"

Kyle sighed and leaned back against the counter. His eyes focused on something outside the window.

She waited. She knew that he would say what was on his mind eventually.

His eyes shifted and focused on her. "Did I ever tell you about Cloie?"

Liz shook her head. But if it was girl problems, it could explain a lot.

"I met her almost seven months ago. It was just one of those things, you know?" He smiled a bit, "She was the one. And I knew it as soon as our eyes met." He paused as the front door opened and shut and Maria came into the kitchen. "Cloie was the most beautiful person I had ever met. And I never thought I'd really fall. I mean head over heels fall, like you and Max, Liz. I didn't think that I'd ever have that. But I found it with Cloie."

Liz smiled softly. She had known that he would eventually find the one and was glad that it had finally happened.

"Tell us about her." Maria said, hopping up onto the counter. It had been a while since they had really talked.

"She was beautiful. Her family came from Ireland. That's where she was born. And you could tell even before she spoke. Her hair was this rich auburn color. But her voice was pure Ireland. Cloie Aislyn McLeod. And she agreed to marry me. Everything was perfect. We were happy."

"That's great Kyle." Liz smiled and then something clicked, "Wait, you were happy? Why not now? What happened?"

Kyle shrugged. "I don't really know. A couple of weeks ago, we were sitting in her apartment, talking about our childhoods and our families and about the family that we wanted. The next day, when I woke up I found a note. Something had happened with her family and she had to return to Ireland. She didn't leave a number or address or anything. She turned in her request for leave to the bureau and left. And there were too many McLeods in Ireland for me to find her. I haven't heard from her at all. She's just…gone."

Maria crossed the sun-filled room and wrapped her slender arms around her brother. "I'm sorry Kyle."

"Yeah. I keep thinking that maybe she'll just show up again though. I left a note in both of our apartments if she went back. Just in case."

"Kyle, I'm sure she'll be back. If you were meant to be, then she'll be back." Liz tried to reassure him…and herself.

He let out a breath and nodded. "I hope so. I want her to meet you two. You'd love her."

Maria smiled a bit, "Of course we would. The girl is willing to put up with you for the rest of her life.

"Brat."

Alex came back upstairs and looked at the three of them. "So. What did you find out?"


	8. Chapter 7

Kyle ushered them back into the dining room and waited for them to sit. "Michael's luggage is still at the hotel in Kansas City. I'm having it sent here."

"Well," Maria began, "that answers that question…and leaves all of the others, like where did they go and how did they get there…besides the obvious answer of a UFO." Liz's eyes widened and Alex's jaw dropped. Maria cursed under her breath. She had forgotten about Kyle.

"UFO?" He was looking at her expectantly.

Maria was saved an immediate response when Liz gasped.

* * *

Cold.

That was his first thought when he awoke. Cold and…different. This definitely was not his hotel room.

Michael opened his eyes and stared up at the unfamiliar gray ceiling with the amber colored light in the center. He sat up slowly and looked around. There were three beds like his in the room, Isabel next to him and Max in the next one down. The last bed was empty, but appeared to have been used recently. "What the hell?"

Max rubbed his eyes to make sure he was really seeing them, "Izzy? Michael?" He shivered as he pushed himself off of the bed and realized that he was still wearing what he had gone to bed in: a pair of boxers and nothing else. "Where are we?"

Isabel crossed her arms a little self-consciously in front of herself. While she could wear the satin ivory nightgown around Alex, Max and Michael were another story.

The hiss of a door opening caught their attention and they all turned to see a young woman and an older man step through.

Michael immediately knew that they were like them. He could see it in their unearthly eyes.

The woman appeared to be the same age as them. Her mass of fire red curls was pulled back in a clip and her silver eyes shone anticipation. She wore a deep blue skirt that came just below her knees and a silver blouse. Her only jewelry was a small amber stone hanging from a chain around her neck and a sparkling diamond on her left hand.

The man beside her had eyes that were a deep brown and his hair was streaked with silver. He was dressed in charcoal pants and a white shirt, along with a long white lab coat. He smiled as he noticed Michael's rapt attention. "Welcome home."

Three pairs of eyes widened and Isabel managed to spit out, "H-home? What do you mean home?"

"Just that." The woman spoke for the first time, her musical voice sounding like it came from the hills of Ireland. "We've been brought home."

"Wait. Do you mean to tell us that we're no longer on Earth?"

She nodded. "That is correct."

"You said we. You mean you've never been here either?"

"I was born and raised on Earth, but I have been here once before when I was younger. That's when I found out that there were more of our kind. I've been looking for you ever since."

Michael nodded slowly, letting all of the information sink in, "What about Maria and Liz and Alex? Are they here?"

The woman's expression seemed distant for a second and then she shook her head, "No. They're still on Earth."

The man beside her frowned slightly, "Give it time child."

She flinched, "Don't call me child, Peter, and don't tell me to give it time." She turned on her heel and left the room.

"Don't mind Lyn. She's having difficulties adjusting again." He turned towards Max, who looked puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Max looked up, "She-Lyn said that Liz wasn't here…but I can feel her. It's like she's sitting right next to me."


	9. Chapter 8

"You can feel her? Why can't I feel Alex?" Isabel was getting worried.

Peter opened a door in the wall and pulled out clothes for each of them, "There are similar doors behind each bed that lead to a washroom. Please, put some clothes on and do whatever you need to. I'll be back in an hour and I'll try to explain everything to you at that point. Lyn should have calmed down by then."

The three watched as the man left the room and then they turned to look at each other.

Michael frowned, "I don't like him."

"Michael, you don't like anybody." Max smiled softly, feeling a little better since he could feel Liz. The emotions that he sensed were vague but it was something.

"Thanks Maxwell. But seriously, I don't trust him. He's hiding something."

Isabel shivered slightly, "He hasn't told us anything, so basically he's hiding everything. Can we go get dressed now? I'm cold."

* * *

"Lizzy? What's wrong?" Maria was kneeling next to her friend.

Liz's eyes were pressed closed and her brow was furrowed, "Max…"

"Max what? Liz, what is it?"

She suddenly opened her eyes and smiled, "I can feel him, Maria. It was like, all of a sudden, I felt him, I still feel him."

Maria fought down the twinge of jealousy that she felt, now was not the time, "You mean like a connection?"

"Maybe…no flashes and I can't figure out any emotions, but it's like he's standing right here in this room."

"Umm…what's going on here? UFO's, connections, flashes?" Kyle's confused voice broke the mood of the revelation. "Will someone please start explaining?"

Alex sighed and leaned his head back, "Kyle, Max, Michael, and Isabel are…"

"Not of this earth," Liz supplied at his pause. Then she rolled her eyes, "God, now I'm using Max's bad jokes."


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N**: In case you haven't figured it out...there are some italics...which is really thoughts...

* * *

Peter's smile quickly dissolved into a frown the instant the doors slid shut behind him. "Colin!"

A young man with fire red hair and silver eyes stepped nervously into the corridor, "Sir?"

"I want you to keep an eye on your sister and those three in there. It was bad enough that James erred with the notes, but I will not let anything else ruin their return, do you understand me?" Peter's eyes had grown dark with fury during his tirade.

Colin nodded, "I understand sir."

"Good. And don't screw this up boy. I hated to lose James. But he was just another copier with no imagination. You have been like a son to me." A sigh escaped the man's lips as he regained his composure. "Call me in fifty minutes. I have things to take care of."

"Yes, sir." Colin waited for Peter to leave before he turned to glance at the door leading to the room with the newest arrivals. And, like he did every time that more of their kind were brought back, he wondered if they would ever be leaving again. His sister had gotten lucky. Her powers had always been more advanced than most, especially for her age, and had been what had saved her before.

With the thoughts of his twin came both a twinge of jealousy for the life that she had been able to live and a bit of guilt that she had once again been found and made to return.

_Jealousy and guilt are not a good mixture, brother._

Colin jumped at the voice that had suddenly appeared in his mind. Wry laughter sounded in his ears and he continued through the corridors, _You're one to talk. And how long have you been in my head this time?_

_Don't worry. I only came in when I felt the green-eyed monster. And on that note, if anyone should feel guilt, it should be me. I should have taken you back with me. You didn't deserve to get left here._ Her voice sounded pained.

He stepped outside and walked towards the beach where he knew she would be, _Don't blame yourself, Ace. It was Da who brought us here and Da who teamed up with Peter. If anyone is to blame, it's him,_ he thought bitterly.

Lyn suddenly appeared from behind a large rock, her long hair blowing slightly in the wind. "Colin, he didn't expect it to turn into this. You know that. I know that. And Mother knew that. By the time he knew…it was too late."

Colin frowned. He hated arguing with his sister, but she wouldn't back down on this issue. "He knew. And it's because of him that Mother is gone and that the rest of us are being pulled away from our lives. Peter won't allow you to leave again."

"He may not have a choice. I am going back to Earth, even if it's the last thing that I do. The question is…what will you do?"

"You know that I'll help you if I can. You're all I have left." Colin stared out at the sea for a few moments before turning back to Lyn, "I want to go too. There is nothing here for me, Ace. Not if you leave."

Lyn smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him, "I wouldn't have it any other way. But until then, you have work to do and I have to get ready for the 'meeting.' I just hope that Max, Michael, and Isabel can control themselves until I can talk to them in private."


	11. Chapter 10

An hour after Peter had left them to change, Max, Michael, and Isabel stood together in the large room waiting. They had given up on conversation because everything inevitably led back to Liz, Maria, and Alex.

Isabel was sitting on the edge of one of the beds following Michael's pacing with her eyes. "Do you mind?"

He didn't pause, only turned his head in her direction, "Not really."

"Would you please stop? That's getting on my nerves."

"Tough."

"Guys," Max stepped between them, "don't do this. We don't need to start bickering when…well, when we don't even know what's going on."

"Ever the peacemaker, Maxwell." Michael smirked and continued pacing. "Let me ask you something. Why you? Why not me…or Isabel? Why do you get to be the one with the connection?"

Max shrugged helplessly, "I don't know." He tried to justify what he had, "And it's not that strong, it's just…there. It is. I can't control it and I don't know why you don't have it."

"But I believe that I do."

The three turned to see Peter and Lyn standing in the doorway. Isabel, being better at observations than the others noticed that Lyn stood as far away from Peter as possible without being obvious to him. She also noticed the glint of something akin to anger in Peter's dark eyes. She'd have to remember that later.

"What do you mean? Do you know what the connection is?" Max was eager to know.

"I have my suspicions, but I can't be sure. You'd be the first to experience it in this fashion." He walked over to another wall and opened a door that hadn't been there five minutes ago. "If you'll come with me, we can get something to eat while I attempt to explain."

* * *

There were maybe fifty others in the large room eating and talking. A few turned as they entered, taking notice of the new arrivals before turning their attention again. What struck Michael was the strong sense of familiarity. They were all like him. Here, he wasn't an outcast or a freak, he was just another person.

_You'd be surprised_.

Michael turned his head sharply towards Lyn and realized that she hadn't even spoken. Before he could open his mouth, she shook her head slightly, just so he barely noticed.

_Don't let them know you hear me. They aren't like us, Michael. We're still outcasts._

He faced away and try to look like he was listening to what Peter was saying about the building that they were in and focused on one thought, hoping that she'd hear him, _What do you mean 'us?'_

Her soft lilt replied,_ I grew up on Earth too. Look, I need to explain some things to the three of you, but not here…not with him around. Tonight, alone, leave the compound and walk to the edge of the beach. There is a large grouping of rocks there. I'll be waiting._

"…ah Colin, we were just getting ready to eat. Won't you join us, my boy?" Peter's call ended their conversation and Lyn smiled warmly at the man walking in their direction.

Michael saw the resemblance the instant that they stood side by side. They had the same red hue to their hair and identical silver eyes.

Colin looped an arm across Lyn's shoulders and smiled to the others, "Hello." The lilt was there, but it was as though it had faded over the years.

"Twins?" Max asked, sharing a glance with Isabel.

Colin and Lyn nodded together. Lyn looked at Peter, to make sure she wouldn't say anything that he didn't want them to know…at least not in front of him. "We have a bond. We can sense each other, feel emotions, pain, excitement, fear, guilt…" she said the last with a pointed look at her brother who just smiled sheepishly. "It's similar to the connection that you now have with Liz, Max."

"How so?"

"Well, within our own race, those that have connections, ones where you can sense things outside of intense situations, are family, most commonly twins. But during a pregnancy, the mother and father are connected telepathically."

Max froze, "Pr-pregnancy?"

A slow smile crossed Lyn's face, "Yes. The connection isn't noticeable until at least six weeks in, but then it builds quickly. Despite the distance between you, you should be able to pick up emotions in another week. Thoughts in three. The child serves as a link between the parents. Of course, Liz will be the first human to have successfully mated with one of our kind, so it could be different, but I doubt it will be significant." Peter nodded in approval.

Max looked like what Maria's reaction must have been when she found out about their "not of this earth" status…only without the screaming and running.


	12. Chapter 11

Peter, Lyn, and Colin had spent a good two hours talking about their people's history, how they had been prisoners of another race years ago and how many of their people had been sent away, with their children, in an attempt to save their kind. Eventually, they had won their independence and rid themselves of the threat of extinction. Now, Peter, along with his associates, worked on finding and bringing the refuges home.

Max and the others had many questions now that there were actually people to answer them. They had asked everything from population to why their food finally tasted right without the aide of Tabasco sauce. Now there were really only a few things left to ask and it was silently agreed that Max would start. "How did we get here?"

"Spaceship, though we refer to them as light cruisers. They go at such high speeds that it only takes one week of Earth time to travel between here and there."

"Like traveling at warp speed?"

Lyn laughed a bit, "More like the slip-stream technology that was in Voyager. At the equivalent of warp 9, it would take a few hundred years."

Max nodded in understanding. "So we were asleep for a week?"

"Sort of. You were in stasis since you are not used to space travel. I was awake when I was brought back about a month ago and was sick for several days because of it."

Michael was interested in all of the information but really had one question that had to be answered. He had always wanted his answers and now that he had them, he could live in peace. "When are we going back?"

Lyn's jaw tightened and Colin put a hand over hers in a calming gesture. Peter simply smiled placatingly and replied, "That is an issue for another day, my children. I have other things that I must attend to now. Colin, please show Michael and Max to their quarters. Lyn, take Isabel to hers. You all have the freedom to roam as you please. You are not prisoners so feel free to make yourselves at home. If you need help with something, ask one of us. I'll see you in the morning."

"Well, at least the quarters are nice. I'm next door to the right if you ever need anything," Lyn said as she stepped through the door to the small cottage that was now Isabel's and illuminated the room. "You are skilled in your basic abilities so there shouldn't be anything in here that you cannot handle. The lights, music, kitchen, bath, pretty much everything can be operated at a thought."

Isabel nodded as she surveyed the living room. "Thanks."

Lyn smiled softly and turned back towards the door.

"Are we going to be able to go home?"

Lyn drew in a deep breath before facing Isabel again. Silver and brown locked and Lyn's heart went out to the blonde. "I don't know Isabel. If Peter has any say…no. But that didn't stop me last time and I'm not going to let it this time either." She absently spun the ring on her finger, "I have too much to keep me from staying here."

Isabel sensed a kindred spirit in Lyn. They seemed to be alike in many ways and they were both in the same predicament. "I have to go back to Alex. I can't live without him."

"I know." She looked thoughtful for a moment, "Isabel, I need you to understand that Peter doesn't want us to go back to Earth. He believes that we should all be together here on the homeworld. He wants to end space travel and exploration in order to 'preserve the quality of our race.' And I'm afraid that he might take any actions necessary to see this through."


	13. Chapter 12

anyone is to blame, it's him, he thought bitterly.

Lyn kept her gaze forward as she felt his presence. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

And it was. The light of the two moons filled the night sky, illuminating the acid green clouds. That same light reflected off of the blue-black water that lapped against the shoreline. "But it's not home, is it?" She turned to look Michael in the eyes. She knew his answer already, she just needed to hear it from someone else.

His voice was distant, reaching back to Earth, "No. It's not home." He laughed. "And that's the funny thing."

She shook her head, not understanding.

"My whole life, I've wanted nothing more than to be right here." He waved his arms widely at the surrounding ocean and beach. "But now that I'm here, I just want to go back to Earth. Earth is home. Maria-" his voice faltered, "Maria is my home now."

Lyn smiled sympathetically and began to walk barefoot towards the shore. She glanced over her shoulder at Michael who was still watching her, "Are you coming?"

They walked in silence for quite some time before finding a rock to sit on. Michael was the one to finally break the silence. "Lyn…how much do you know about us?"

"By us…do you mean the three of you, or do you mean our people?"

"Both, either."

"Well…I know quite a bit about our people. I came here when I was eighteen, just after I had graduated from high school. Da had decided that it was time to return."

"Your father?"

She nodded, "Yes. He wanted to be rejoined with people that he had never met, but had heard of from his parents. And so we contacted the others and they brought us here. Mother said she had dreamt of this place, of the clouds and the moons and that it was much better in her head because life was good in her dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a lot that goes on here that you don't see, Michael. We were the last to be retrieved. Earth was the farthest planet that our people had been sent to and it took the longest to find us. Peter and my da worked together to find you. Da knew that there had been a ship to crash and Roswell, of course, was always full of rumors and sightings. But we never had much in the way of real proof. Until I fell in love anyway."

Michael's brow creased in confusion, "What would your falling in love have to do with finding us?"

Lyn stopped walking and looked at him seriously, "Michael, you have to know that I never intended to let them know about you. When they brought me back though, they found out. They knew how to find you."

"Lyn, what are you talking about?"

"My fiancé is from Roswell. The day before they came for me, we had been talking about our childhood. He told me all about his sister and her husband and their friends. He told me how he had become friends with them in high school and all about his experiences. One of those experiences was of when Liz Parker was shot in the Crashdown Café and Max healed her. There were others too that tipped me off, but that was the catalyst."

Michael was still trying to digest all of the information that Lyn had given him while putting together all of the missing pieces. "So your fiancé knew Liz? Is that what you're saying?"

"Michael, it's more than that. His sister…is your wife, Maria. My fiancé is Kyle Valenti."


	14. Chapter 13

To say that the past week and a half had been bizarre would be a great understatement. Kyle, with his strange sense of humor, preferred the phrase "out of this world." But of course, Maria and Alex would only roll their eyes and slip back into their disturbed thoughts at the mention of anything remotely alien. Liz was better about it, albeit not much. She was only taking his humor better because she had that weird link with Max and could sense him.

If Kyle didn't know better, he'd say that Maria and Alex were jealous of Liz. They wanted that kind of link to Michael and Isabel and felt denied because they didn't have it. Hell, he even wished that he had that sort of connection to Cloie just so he wouldn't feel so lost without her. But, unlike Michael and Isabel, Cloie wasn't an alien, so it would never happen anyway.

As far as thinking of his brother-in-law and the others as aliens...well...he was getting used to the idea. He had no clue how he'd act if he ever saw any of them again, knowing that they were different. He liked to think that he'd still think of them as the friends that they had become and not as short gray creatures with huge almond-shaped eyes who were here to do inhumane experiments on them and stick probes...Ok Kyle. No more stupid alien movies for you. He almost laughed at the thoughts that had been playing through his mind. Almost.

His thoughts were interrupted by Alex's sudden appearance on the porch. "Nice view isn't it?"

Kyle nodded as he glanced out into the open desert that stretched on for an eternity behind the Whitmans' home. The evening sky of orange and purple haze was just beginning to blacken and show the millions of stars high above them. "It makes me feel sort of small."

Alex took a seat on the thick wooden railing and looked at Kyle for a moment. "First time for everything, right?"

A smile tugged at his lips and his blue eyes danced with humor, "I guess so, Whitman. But I guess now I see things a little differently, you know?"

"Yeah. I remember that feeling, knowing for sure that all of the rumors and stories had a bit of truth to them. That we weren't really alone. And then to find out that the girl I had loved for so long was different was really hard to comprehend for a little while. But then I realized that Isabel was still Isabel. She hadn't changed."

"I guess that means that I have it easy. I'm not in love with an alien." Kyle frowned. It had been over a month since Cloie had seemingly dropped off of the earth and he still felt the pain. He blamed himself, having decided that her parents had nothing to do with her leaving, that it was something that he had done. He had pushed her too far too fast. And now he was alone.

He remembered a song that had been popular when he was younger, back before he tried to deny his love for country music. Bryan White had made a hit out of the way that Kyle felt right now. He had tried putting all of her pictures away, had even tried to quit wearing the gold band that she had given him good-humoredly as an engagement ring. None of it worked though. He still loved her.

"Cloie will come back, you know." Alex's soft, concerned tone shook him from his walk towards self-pity.

"That's what I dream. But every day goes by without any word and..."

"And nothing.. We're in the same boat now. We're both hopelessly in love and because of that love, we're both haunted."

Liz sighed loudly for no reason other than to fill the quiet. She knew that Alex and Kyle were out back and figured that Maria was avoiding her. There was not doubt that Liz loved her best friend dearly, but the girl needed to learn how to get over a grudge.

Maria had been acting weird ever since they had found out about the connection and had even started to leave the room if Liz came in. Liz wished that Maria would at least talk to her. She knew that she had a great gift with her link, but she wished that there were a way to have both that and for Maria to get over her pain and jealousy.

They still weren't sure why she had the connection and not the others. Their only guess was that the child growing in her womb was the answer. And, as it grew, so did the strength of the bond.

Liz had awoken that morning to a sense of worry. Before she was able to give it much thought, she had been forced to make a run for the bathroom. Afterwards, while sitting on the tile floor with Kyle next to her, doing Alex's usual job of holding out the washcloth and water, she had been filled with a burst of joy that was not her own.

* * *

_"Liz? What is it? Is something wrong?" Kyle's brow was furrowed with worry._

_She smiled brightly and started to laugh, softly at first, then louder as the happiness flowed through her veins. Her shoulders shook and tears streamed down her cheeks. She hadn't laughed-really laughed-since Max had been gone and it felt wonderful. She could feel his emotions and he could probably feel hers!_

_She figured that the previous jolt of worry had been Max's over the feelings that she had woken up with due to bad dreams. His elation was making her heart lift and she knew right then that she would be all right. She almost went into another fit of laughter when a worried Kyle scrambled out of the bathroom to find Alex._

* * *

As she smiled to herself over the memory, she felt the now familiar tug that told her that Max was relieved, happy, and anxious all at once. Liz simply wondered if it was her imagination or she really felt the twinge of fear as well.

* * *

**A/N**: Well folks...that's it for now. This is one I desperatly want to see done...and I've got more written, it just needs to be molded to fit how I want it to go. I could use some encouragement to get back into this...(read: shameless begging for reviews)


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